Cleaning Device and Method of Use Thereof

ABSTRACT

A cleaning device comprising a glove having a first side and a second side directly opposite said first side, a front end defining a fingers section and a rear end defining a glove opening and a palm section between said fingers section and the rear end and an outer perimeter of the glove; a length of insulating material securely coupled to said first side of the glove; a cleaning layer extending the length of the insulating material and said first side of the glove portion and coupled to the length of insulating material; and a pull element operatively coupled to said rear portion of the glove and a securing element coupling said pull element to said rear portion of the glove; wherein said glove is used to clean an external surface and turned around from the glove opening and used as a disposable container.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/979,072 filed on Feb. 20, 2020, then entire contentsof which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a cleaning device and a glove cleaning devicecomprising a pre-moistened wipe and an insulative protective layer. Moreparticularly, the invention relates to a device useful in cleaningexternal surfaces such as homes and workplaces which can also be used tocollect dirt and spills and used as a trash container or receptableafter use wherein the hand of the user does not get contaminated by thecleaning solutions or contaminants cleaned with the device.

2. Description of the Related Art

In markets today, there are very limited products offered for cleaning asurface with a pre-moistened wipe without having a user's handcontaminated with either the product of the wipe or the spill and dirtof the surface to be cleaned. In addition, most wipes on the market,either dry or pre-moistened can be hard to use when a user wants togather and collect the dirt and/or spill at the end of the cleaning. Infact, usually a broom or vacuum cleaner is required to first collect thedirt, then a wipe is typically used afterwards since most single wipesare not absorbent enough for regular spills.

Cleaning products and detergents are usually used for performingcleaning and household chores. These cleaning liquids and cleansers canbe detrimental to users with dry or sensitive skin. The cleansers'chemical content may cause rashes, skin dryness or other skinconditions. Even routine contact with water caused by regular dishwashing can cause dry skin. Sometimes, gloves are worn when suchhousehold chores are performed to avoid skin contact with harshchemicals or potentially hazardous materials.

Although traditional gloves can protect the hands, it is often difficultto clean with bulky gloves and they don't always provide the requiredcleaning functionality. And even when cleaning gloves are more flexibleand offer better prehensility, the cleaning functionalities aretypically limited, and one cannot easily clean up dirt and messes withcleaning gloves alone.

Other pre-moistened wipes products offered or disposable wipes forwiping surfaces are popular in markets today. Single-use items arecommonly used for household cleaning, office cleaning and in variousbusinesses and industries. Of these single-use items, both disposablewipes and disposable gloves are popular consumer and professionalproducts. However, there is currently nothing on the market thatprovides a form fitting glove that can be worn on a user's hand to helpwith cleaning without contaminating a user's hand with either thecleaning solution used to moisten the wipe or the dirt and spill to becollected.

Currently, there are no useful alternatives that effectively assist auser clean surfaces without contaminating a user's hand and also servesas a trash receptacle or container. As will be disclosed below, thepresent disclosure addresses these needs and covers a device and methodto clean external surfaces to prevent these inconveniences and solvethese issues.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the present invention is embodied as a cleaning deviceincluding a glove portion, a pre-moistened cleaning layer and anabsorbing insulating material between the glove and the pre-moistenedwipe such that when a user uses the cleaning device, the user's handsremain dry and uncontaminated by the cleaning products and by the dirtor spill cleaned.

In one embodiment, the cleaning device has a glove with a first side anda second side opposite thereof. The first side or bottom side is coupledto an absorbing material and a pre-moistened wipe whereas the secondside or top side remains dry and in contact with a user's hand. Theglove portion of the cleaning device has a front portion or a fingersection and a rear portion with an opening to allow a user to placetheir hand inside the glove portion and inside the cleaning device.

In another embodiment, the opening of the glove portion further includesa pull element that can be used for tightening the cleaning devicearound a user's hand, and when done cleaning, a user can pull the gloveopening, turn around the cleaning device and use the pull element toclose the cleaning device. This way, the cleaning device is used as botha cleaning apparatus and a receptable or container for trash and theuser does not need a separate bag to collect the dirt and grime of thecleanup.

In one embodiment, the cleaning device has an absorbing material and thepre-moistened wipe extend to an entire surface area of the first side ofthe glove such that the entire side of the cleaning portion is coveredwith a pre-moistened wipe and absorbing material, allowing for anextended cleaning surface area.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the absorbing materialis sandwiched between the pre-moistened wipe and the first side of theglove. Here, when a user places a hand in the glove and uses thecleaning device for cleaning, the user's hand remains dry anduncontaminated by cleaning product or dirt cleaned up.

The present disclosure can also be embodied in a cleaning device wherethe glove, the absorbing material and the pre-moistened wipe are bondedat least along a peripheral edge of the glove. In another embodiment,the glove, the absorbing material and the pre-moistened wipe are heatbonded together, stitched together, stapled together, glued together,and/or cold bonded together.

In another embodiment, the cleaning device of the present disclosure hasa pull element that can be either a pull string, a drawstring, a string,an elastic band, a bracelet, an adhesive drawstring, a bracelet and/or agarter. The pull element can also include a tie and/or an adhesiveelement such that when a user cleans using the cleaning device andremoves the cleaning device by turning it over, the adhesive or tieelement can help seal the cleanup inside the cleaning device. By turningover the cleaning device, it can be used as a trash receptable tocollect the post cleanup.

In accordance with one form of this disclosure, there is provided amethod for using a cleaning device comprising the steps of providing acleaning device with a glove portion and a pre-moistened wipe, insertinga hand inside the glove compartment, using the cleaning device to cleanan external surface, removing said cleaning device by pulling on anopening portion of the glove compartment and tying said opening portionto enclose a used cleaning device.

Before explaining the various embodiments of the invention in detail, itis to be understood that the invention is not limited in its applicationto the details of construction and to the arrangements of the componentsset forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings.Rather, the invention is capable of other embodiments and of beingpracticed and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understoodthat the terminology employed herein is for the purpose of descriptionand should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception,upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basisfor the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carryingout the several purposes of the present invention. It is important,therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalentconstructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope ofthe present invention.

Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S.Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially thescientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiarwith patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from acursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure ofthe application. The abstract is neither intended to define theinvention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is itintended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.

For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantagesand the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be madeto the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there areillustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.

Various objects, features, aspects and advantages of the presentembodiment will become more apparent from the following detaileddescription of embodiments of the embodiment, along with theaccompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

It should be noted that the drawing figures may be in simplified formand might not be to precise scale.

FIG. 1 is a bottom view of one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of yet another embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 4 is a top view of an alternative another embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view of an alternative another embodimentof the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a top view of an alternative embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the embodiments of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a top view of an alternative embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the embodiments of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is an exploded view of an alternative embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the presentdisclosure after use.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a packagingcontaining cleaning devices of the present disclosure.

The same elements or parts throughout the figures of the drawings aredesignated by the same reference characters, while equivalent elementsbear a prime designation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The embodiment and various embodiments can now be better understood byturning to the following detailed description of the embodiments, whichare presented as illustrated examples of the embodiment defined in theclaims. It is expressly understood that the embodiment as defined by theclaims may be broader than the illustrated embodiments described below.Many alterations and modifications may be made by those having ordinaryskill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of theembodiments.

Referring now to the drawings and the characters of reference markedthereon, FIG. 1 shows a bottom view of one embodiment of the presentdisclosure. FIG. 1 shows a cleaning device 100 incorporating a glove 110having a first side 111 and a second side 112 directly opposite thefirst side such that when worn, the first side would be the closest sideto the palm of a user. The glove also includes a front end defining afingers section 113 and a rear end defining a glove opening 114. In oneembodiment, the fingers section 113 has a delimitation 117 between eachfinger, and fits snugly on a user's hand. In other embodiment, thefinger section is separated into two section, one section for fourfingers and a section for the prehensile thumb opposed to the fourfingers sections. In yet another embodiment, the glove only has one maincompartment where the user can insert their hands but does not haveindividualized or separate compartments for the different fingers.

In one embodiment, the cleaning device and glove has a length ofabsorbing material securely coupled to the first side of the glove andto a pre-moistened wipe extending the length of the absorbing materialand the first side of the glove portion and coupled to both the gloveportion and the length of absorbing material. The absorbing material isused to ensure than when cleaning and when the cleaning glove is worn, auser's hand stays dry and does not get contaminated with either thechemical used in the pre-moistened wipe or the dirt and spill collectedby the cleaning device and cleaning glove. While in one embodiment, theabsorbing material extends throughout the surface of the glove, in otherembodiments, the absorbing length only covers a portion of the glovethat includes the pre-moistened wipe.

In one embodiment, the cleaning device and cleaning glove has a pullelement 140 along the rear portion of the glove or opening of the glove114. The pull element can be a pull string, a drawstring, a string, anelastic band, a bracelet, an adhesive drawstring, a bracelet and/or agarter.

In embodiments including the pull element, the glove can be used toclean an external surface and turned around from the glove opening andused as a disposable container. In addition, the pull element can serveas a tie to tie up the glove or disposable container such that thecollected dirt and cleanup remains inside the glove which now serves asa trash receptacle. In this embodiment, the glove can be used for petcleanups to sanitize a surface, pick up pet waste, then sanitarilyflipped over thanks to the pull element, and using the pull element,tied together to serve as a waste container.

In some embodiments, the pull element also includes an adhesive elementsuch that when a user cleans using the cleaning device and removes saidcleaning device by turning over said device, the adhesive element sealscleaning inside said device.

In one embodiment, the absorbing material and the pre-moistened wipeextend an entire surface area of the first side of the glove. In otherembodiments, the absorbing material only extends to the portion of theglove that has the pre-moistened wipe element and the wipe element doesnot extend the entire surface of the glove. In some embodiments, thewipe has a thickness to it and only the portion facing out ispre-moistened, thereby not needing the absorbing element.

In some embodiments, a portion of the cleaning device includes scrubbingelements on the outer face of the glove or device to assist withclean-ups.

In yet another embodiment, the absorbing material is sandwiched betweenthe pre-moistened wipe and the first side of the glove wherein when auser places a hand in said glove and uses the cleaning device forcleaning, the user's hand remains dry and uncontaminated.

In some embodiments, the glove, the absorbing material and thepre-moistened wipe are bonded at least along a peripheral edge of theglove. In other embodiments, the glove, the absorbing material and thepre-moistened wipe are heat bonded together. The glove, the absorbingmaterial and the pre-moistened wipe can be stitched, stapled, glued,heat bonded and/or cold bonded.

FIGS. 1 through 5 show various embodiments of the cleaning device. Insome embodiments as shown in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, the cleaning layer coversthe entirety of the first side 111 of the glove 110, whereas in otherembodiments, the cleaning layer only covers a portion of the first side111 of the glove 110 and covers the finger section and part of the palmsection. In another embodiment as shown in FIG. 4, the cleaning layerextends outwardly from the outer perimeter 116 of the glove. In thisembodiment, the cleaning layer 130 can be a pre-moistened wipe and canbe rectangular, square of circular.

In some embodiments as shown in FIG. 10, the cleaning device 100includes a glove 110 having a first side 111 and a second side 112directly opposite the first side. The cleaning device also has a frontend defining a fingers section 113 and a rear portion defining a gloveopening 114 and a palm section 115 between the fingers section 113 andthe rear portion 114 and an outer perimeter 116 of the glove.

In some embodiments as shown in FIG. 10, the cleaning device alsocomprises a length of insulating material defining an insulating layer120 securely coupled to the first side of the glove 111. This insulationlayer can be a protective layer, a waterproof layer or any othermaterial which stops cleaning agents and outside contaminants frompermeating into the glove or a hand of a user. In other embodiments, theinsulating layer also includes padding for ease of use and comfort.

In other embodiments, the cleaning device does not include an insulatinglayer 120 and the cleaning layer 130 is directly attached to the gloveportion 110 which is made of a waterproof and insulating flexiblematerial.

As shown in FIGS. 1 through 10, a cleaning layer 130 extends at leastthe length of the insulating material 120 and the first side 111 of theglove portion 110. Here, the cleaning layer is coupled to the length ofinsulating material 120. In other embodiments, the cleaning layer isattached directly to the glove portion 110.

In some embodiments, the cleaning device 100 includes a pull element 140operatively connected to the rear portion 114 of the glove. In someembodiments, the cleaning device also includes a securing element 142coupling the pull element to the rear portion of the glove 114. In otherembodiments the pull element is attached directly to the cleaning device100 and does not require securing elements for the pull element. Inthese embodiment when the glove and cleaning device is used to clean anexternal surface, a user can turn it around from the glove opening 114and used as a disposable container 150 as shown in FIG. 11.

In some embodiments the cleaning layer 130 can be a pre-moistenedcleaning wipe coupled to the insulating layer and the glove andextending outwardly from the outer perimeter of the glove. In otherembodiments, the cleaning layer 130 can be directly attached to a glovewhich acts as a glove and insulating layer to protect a user's hand.

In some embodiments, the cleaning layer 130 can be a pre-moistenedcleaning wipe, a textured cloth adapted to receive a solution, areusable cleaning wipe saturated with a cleaning solution, a paddedabsorbing wipe for cleaning and/or a disposable cleaning wipe saturatedwith a cleaning solution.

In some embodiments as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the insulating material120 and the cleaning layer 130 extend an entire surface area of thefirst side of the glove 111. In some embodiments, the cleaning layer andinsulating layer can extend beyond the entire surface area of the firstside of the glove 111.

In other embodiments, the insulating material and insulating layer 120is sandwiched between the cleaning layer 130 and the first side of theglove 111 such that when a user places a hand in the glove and uses thecleaning device for cleaning, the user's hand remains dry anduncontaminated.

In one embodiment the glove 110, the insulating material 120 and thecleaning layer 130 are bonded at least along the outer perimeter of theglove with at least one of an adhesive and mechanical stitching. Inother embodiments, the glove layer 110, the insulating layer 120 and thecleaning layer 130 are bonded together along an entire surface area ofthe first side of the glove. Here, the glove's first side 111, thecleaning layer 130 and the insulating layer 120 can be secured togetherwith stitches, staples, an adhesive, a reusable adhesive, a glue, a heatbond and/or a cold bond. In one particular embodiment the cleaning layeris bonded either directly to the glove portion or to the glove and aninsulating layer with a reusable adhesive. In this particularembodiment, the cleaning device 100 can be reused a user can use acleaning layer, remove it and attach another cleaning layer for ease ofreusability all while keeping a user's hand dry and uncontaminated.

In one embodiment, the pull element 140 can be a pull string, adrawstring, a string, an elastic band, a bracelet, an adhesivedrawstring, a bracelet and/or a garter attached directly to the gloverear end portion 114, or secured to the rear portion 114 with stiches,staples and/or adhesive. In one particular embodiment, the pull elementis within the rear portion 114 where the rear portion includes a foldcreating a channel for the pull element. In another particularembodiment, the fold includes an opening such that the pull element 140is visible to a user and the user can pull the pull element 140 tosecure the glove snug onto the user's hand, and then use the pullelement to close the inside of the cleaning device and dispose of thecontaminants.

In yet another embodiment as shown in FIG. 11, the pull element 140 alsoincludes an adhesive element 145 such that when a user cleans using thecleaning device and removes said cleaning device by turning over saiddevice, the adhesive element seals an outer contaminant inside thecleaning device 110.

In one particular embodiment, the securing element 142 coupling the pullelement 140 to the rear portion of the glove 114 is a structural portionof the rear portion of the glove folded and on itself and coupled toitself thereby defining a channel for the pull element and wherein theglove folded portion further comprises an opening allowing the pullelement to be pulled outwardly and adapted to be tied.

In some embodiments, the cleaning layer 130 is a pre-moistened cleaningwipe including comprising perforations 135 adapted to facilitateadhesion to the insulation layer 120 and/or the glove portion 110.

In another embodiment, the glove 110 is formed from a single sheet offlexible plastic and can be a hypoallergenic plastic, a recyclableplastic, a recycled plastic, and/or a biodegradable plastic.

In one particular embodiment the glove 110, the insulating material 120,and the cleaning layer 130 are attached together along the outerperimeter of the glove 116.

The present disclosure can also be embodied in a kit 200 which includesa resealable packaging 210 as shown in FIG. 12, and comprise one of morecleaning devices 100 disposed within the packaging. Here, each of the necleaning devices comprises a glove having a first side and a second sidedirectly opposite the first side, a front end defining a fingers sectionand a rear end defining a glove opening and a palm section between thefingers section and the rear end and an outer perimeter of the glove.The cleaning device also includes a length of insulating materialattached to first side of the glove, a pre-moistened cleaning layerextending the length of the insulating material and the first side ofthe glove portion and coupled to the length of insulating material; anda pull element operatively coupled to the rear portion of the glove anda securing element coupling the pull element to the rear portion of theglove; wherein the glove is used to clean an external surface and turnedaround from the glove opening and used as a disposable container.

In some embodiments, this kit includes cleaning devices that do notcomprise an insulating layer. In other embodiments, the packagingincludes a plurality of cleaning devices. In one particular embodiment,the cleaning devices inside the packaging are folded around a portion ofanother cleaning device such that when a user pulls a cleaning device, asecond cleaning device is at the packaging top surface for ease of use.

The present disclosure can be embodied in a method of using a cleaningdevice comprising the steps of providing a cleaning device with a glovecompartment and a pre-moistened wipe, inserting a hand inside the glovecompartment, using the cleaning device to clean an external surface,removing said cleaning device by pulling on an opening portion of theglove compartment, tying said opening portion to enclose a used cleaningdevice.

In some embodiments, the method includes having a cleaning device with aglove compartment, an insulating material and a pre-moistened wipe and apull element; inserting a user's hand inside the glove compartment;cleaning an external surface with the cleaning device; removing saidcleaning device by pulling on the pull element; and tying the pullelement to enclose a used cleaning device. In other embodiments, a userremoves cleaning devices individually from a package prior to insertingtheir hand inside the glove compartment, removing the cleaning devicefrom a resealable packaging. In another embodiment, the user seals theused cleaning device with a sealable and adhesive pull element.

As mentioned above, other embodiments and configurations may be devisedwithout departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of theappended claims.

1. A cleaning device comprising: a) a glove having a first side and asecond side directly opposite said first side, a front end defining afingers section and a rear portion defining a glove opening and a palmsection between said fingers section and the rear portion and an outerperimeter of the glove; b) a length of insulating material defining aninsulating layer securely coupled to said first side of the glove; c) acleaning layer extending the length of the insulating material and saidfirst side of the glove and coupled to the length of insulatingmaterial; and d) a pull element operatively coupled to said rear portionof the glove and a securing element coupling said pull element to saidrear portion of the glove; wherein said glove is used to clean anexternal surface and turned around from the glove opening and used as adisposable container.
 2. The cleaning device of claim 1 wherein thecleaning layer is a pre-moistened cleaning wipe coupled to theinsulating layer and the glove and extending outwardly from the outerperimeter of the glove.
 3. The cleaning device of claim 1 wherein thecleaning layer is one of a pre-moistened cleaning wipe, a textured clothadapted to receive a solution, a reusable cleaning wipe saturated with acleaning solution, and a disposable cleaning wipe saturated with acleaning solution.
 4. The cleaning device of claim 1 wherein theinsulating material and the cleaning layer extend an entire surface areaof the first side of the glove.
 5. The cleaning device of claim 1wherein the insulating material is sandwiched between the cleaning layerand the first side of the glove wherein when a user places a hand insaid glove and uses said cleaning device for cleaning, said user's handremains dry and uncontaminated.
 6. The cleaning device of claim 1wherein the glove, the insulating material and the cleaning layer arebonded at least along the outer perimeter of the glove with at least oneof an adhesive and mechanical stitching.
 7. The cleaning device of claim1 wherein the glove, the insulating material and the cleaning layer arebonded together along an entire surface area of the first side of theglove.
 8. The cleaning device of claim 1 wherein the glove, theinsulating material and the cleaning layer are secured together with atleast one of a stitch, a staple, an adhesive, a reusable adhesive, aglue, a heat bond and a cold bond.
 9. The cleaning device of claim 1,wherein the pull element is at least one of a pull string, a drawstring,a string, an elastic band, a bracelet, an adhesive drawstring, abracelet and a garter.
 10. The cleaning device of claim 1 wherein thepull element further comprises an adhesive element such that when a usercleans using the cleaning device and removes said cleaning device byturning over said device, the adhesive element seals an outercontaminant inside said device.
 11. The cleaning device of claim 1wherein the securing element coupling said pull element to said rearportion of the glove is a structural portion of the rear portion of theglove folded and on itself and coupled to itself thereby defining achannel for the pull element and wherein the glove folded portionfurther comprises an opening allowing the pull element to be pulledoutwardly and adapted to be tied.
 12. The cleaning device of claim 1wherein the cleaning layer is a pre-moistened cleaning wipe furthercomprising perforations adapted to facilitate adhesion to the insulationlayer and the glove.
 13. The cleaning device of claim 1 wherein theglove is formed from a single sheet of flexible plastic being at leastone of a hypoallergenic plastic, a recyclable plastic, a recycledplastic, and a biodegradable plastic.
 14. The cleaning device of claim 1wherein the glove, the insulating material and the cleaning layer arecoupled along the outer perimeter of the glove.
 15. A kit comprising: a)a resealable packaging; and b) at least one cleaning device disposedwithin said packaging, each of the at least one cleaning devicecomprising: i) a glove having a first side and a second side directlyopposite said first side, a front end defining a fingers section and arear end defining a glove opening and a palm section between saidfingers section and the rear end and an outer perimeter of the glove;ii) a length of insulating material securely coupled to said first sideof the glove; iii) a pre-moistened cleaning layer extending the lengthof the insulating material and said first side of a glove portion andcoupled to the length of insulating material; and iv) a pull elementoperatively coupled to said rear portion of the glove and a securingelement coupling said pull element to said rear portion of the glove;wherein said glove is used to clean an external surface and turnedaround from the glove opening and used as a disposable container. 16.The kit of claim 15 wherein the at least one cleaning device includes aplurality of cleaning.
 17. The kit of claim 15 wherein each individualcleaning device is folded around a portion of another cleaning devicesuch that when a user pulls the at least one of the cleaning device, asecond cleaning device is at a top surface of the packaging for ease ofuse.
 18. A method of using a cleaning device comprising the steps of: a)providing a cleaning device with a glove compartment, an insulatingmaterial and a pre-moistened wipe and a pull element; b) inserting ahand inside the glove compartment; c) cleaning an external surface withsaid cleaning device; d) removing said cleaning device by pulling on thepull element; and e) tying said pull element to enclose a used cleaningdevice.
 19. The method of claim 18 further comprising prior to insertinga hand inside the glove compartment, removing the cleaning device from aresealable packaging.
 20. The method of claim 18 further comprisingsealing the used cleaning device with a sealable and adhesive pullelement.